Close Ups

I'm trying to get better on my macro shots. Even using my macro setting on my camera, I've been blurring my close ups. As in hen and baby chick. These aren't too bad.

You would not believe Skylar is waiting for me to throw something, right? She can really focus.

Calamity and Oscar are spending the night. They get to visit pretty often. They cooperate with the pictures fairly well.

Here's hoping Oscar will let me sleep past 6:00am. Anything past six is great.

Boiled Gold Fish

Not really. I'm sure they feel like it though. It is much better now that I've put the umbrella up. The water was really hot at the end of the day; now just warm. I've even started making blocks of ice to put in the pond at the end of the day. That helps cool it off and start cooler the next morning. It has just been so brutal these last two or three days.

I have all but finished the pond area. I still have to put hinges on the gate and hang it. I just have it propped up right now. And I need to plant a few more plants in there also. Not much use right now. Too hot and dry. Mostly dry.

The last few days I haven't seen the shubunkin fish. I hope he is there. A couple of nights I left the gate open, so a snake could of got in. Just not likely. My pond is not clearing as fast as I hoped it would . I was thinking also that the water hyacinths are not multiplying as fast as they usually do. I don't know why. It is at least better; hopefully it will keep clearing. The last picture shows just how much the umbrella helps. It helps with blocking hours of sun.

The Bird Bath

Well, they are birds, BIG BIRDS! It has been so hot and so dry here. We have had less than an inch of rain for the whole month of June. My chickens like the bird bath even during normal conditions. They think it is just for them. Actually, birds don't really like this bird bath. I see a few birds come to this bird bath in the winter, but hardly ever in the summer.

My chickens also liked to go to my pond to drink and scratch around in the pine straw. Now I have fenced that off. They tear up my plants and flowers, so they have to drink else where. And they have lots of places they can scratch around.

The last picture is one of my Americaunas. She is getting that beard or thick feathers around the neck and face. The breed originally came from Chile, I believe. They are called ear tufted chickens and Easter-egg chickens. All but one is ear tufted now.

Baby Chicks Again

More little baby chicks. One hatched Friday and one Saturday. Can you believe? Just two little chicks after three weeks of sitting on a nest. I might have to get rid of the older roosters and keep the little white ones. Of course, the snake got three of the eggs. Also, the hen could have stayed off the nest a little too long one of the times. She would get off every two or three days, load up on water and food; just stretch her legs for awhile.

Yesterday was the first day off the nest and out into the world to forage for food. They are so tiny next to mama. They would wobble a little and have to rest alot. They get stronger every day. In the last picture they are alone because mama is chasing off another hen. She is only a few feet away. They just stood there and waited for her to come back. Hopefully, they will be okay and grow to be hens. I really hope for hens. On Friday when the first was born, something got one of my barred rocks. They are the black and white ones. So, I've lost another big and got two little. Here we go.

Oh No!

This evening I went out to gather eggs. I always check the nests on the outside of the hen house first. That's because they hardly ever use those nest. I have two old eggs in the nests to encourage the hens to lay there. It doesn't work, but I try. When I checked those nest and the eggs were gone; Oh no, a snake has beat me to the eggs. I went to the nest on the inside and gather the eggs there. As I was leaving, I glanced up and noticed the snake on a two by four. It was extremely long. I ran and got my rifle; but, it wasn't so easy to get the snake out of the house so I could shoot it. Later, the little roosters (these are the pink and green biddies) came along and they were going to sneak up on the snake. They went at different angles, but decided never mind.

This is my new corn I planted. I don't think the corn I planted first is going to make. It's not getting enough sunshine. This corn is about one week old. It looks bigger than it is. It is only a couple of inches tall. If it makes, I will have corn around the first of September. I know this is late, but I'm learning.

Just Stuff

I had a big box on the back porch that needed taking off; however, before I disposed of it Addie Cat decided it would be her new sleeping pad. I am sorry to disappoint her but it can't stay there. I might try putting it under the porch to see if she will like it there. She really appears to like this box.

These teeny tiny mushrooms were growing in a flower pot on the back porch. They were so small it was hard trying to get a good picture. They might have been about one inch tall. The Rose Jugglers had some really good information about mushrooms on their blog once. Like if you put the cap of mushroom on a sheet of paper, the dust from the spores of the mushroom will drop on the paper. Then you see a pattern of the mushroom and it can be identified. Not by me, though.

The Rose Juggler gave me an award from their blog today. I just don't know how to put it on mine yet. But I do appreciate the award.

First Pond Flowers

The yellow water lily is actually my third for this year. I noticed today I had three blooming at one time. They are doing really well this year. (So far.) The purple is a water hyacinth. These came from New Orleans. When Norma and I were there for Mardi Gras, I picked up some out of a bayou. They are just starting to recover from Oscar ripping them to shreds while looking for frogs. I also have a new frog spitter. Cute, huh?

The tall puple in the back is a pickerel. It has to have it's own place also. It will multiply really fast like the hyacinth. In the very top right corner of the last picture, you can see one little green shoot. That is my cattails that Michael brought me from a bayou in New Orleans also. I don't have any cattails on the plants yet. Hopefully, soon.

Company Calling

Thursday, my son, Tony, came over for a visit.He had a scrape on his forehead and he was afraid it would show; hence , we look down . He was also showing off his new LSU cap. Love the eye of the Tiger. Also LOVE the tee shirt.

My niece, Anna, came by for a few minutes Saturday. Actually, they came by to pick up Oscar; he had made his way back to my house after roaming the neighborhood. Or Pea Ridge hood.




Sunday, Taz, Miss Daisy, Sweetie, and Mikie came to visit for the afternoon. Sweetie and Mikie are missing out of the picture. They were busy.

Garden Update

I went back to find one of the first pictures I had of my garden. This was taken around the first of May or end of April. I planted these tomato plants on April 16th or 17th; right before I went on vacation to Florida. Looks like lots of room, right? Well, they have really grown. I have even eaten about four or five tomatos from these plants. See the two big plants in the back? They were so good. Pretty soon I hope to have tomates to share. My potatos, don't really know, as with the corn. I did dig just a little under a potato plant and saw one little (really little) potato. We will wait and see. If I get any corn from these few plants, I will be lucky. I have one little bell pepper growing; hopefully there will be more. And my herbs are looking pretty good. I am pleased at the results I have gotten so far. Actually, I am extremely happy. It is doing really good so far. Oh, I forgot to mention my squash. It is still little but growing. I planted it too late but hopeful it can stand the heat.

I didn't notice Skylar in the backgound until I posted these pictures. She always seems to be looking back asking "What?"

Before And After

In March of 2007 Johnny and I adopted four horses. The Humane Society had taken these horses because they had been starved. It really was a pitiful sight. The first three pictures are of the day we first got them and the last three are of today. The black one was the worst. I really wasn't sure he would make it; but he did. They are all doing really well. The spotted one was in the best shape; however, that wasn't good. She was bony also. We were told that there had been five but one didn't make it. Sad, sad thing.

Blackie turns a dark brown during the summer. You can see he is already starting to turn. It's wierd that he does that and no one has a clue why. He is still a pretty horse. It has taken a long time, but they have recovered.

Wordless Wednesday

Saturday Night Bath

Saturday night was bath time for Skylar and as you can tell, this is not a favorite for Skylar. And she absolutely hates the camera. She will not look at it. Skylar doesn't like baths, but she does like to go down to the creek and soak if she gets to hot after playing frisbee. Another fun thing is going to the pond to play. She will almost drown herself fetching a ball or stick.

Chili is having fun looking for frogs. She was doing this while I'm trying to redo my beds around the pond. In the last picture her head is under the pond part and you can barely see her body because she is almost the color of dirt. She has dirt up her nose, in her mouth and all over. But it was fun.